Automatic make-and-break device.



P. S. KEENAN.

AUTOMATIC MAKE AND BREAK DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. so. |916.

1,229,473. meme@ June 12, 1917.

nx n

STATES'. PATENT omen.

PATRICK S. KEENAN, OF IIENVEB,A COLORADO.

AUToMArIc MAKE-AND-BREAK DEVICE.

make and use the same, reference -being had to the accompanyingdrawings,and to the characters of reference marked thereon,

' which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for automatically makingand breaking an electric circuit by downward pressure as by sitting upona cushion or other seat in an automobile, the special use which I havein mind, being the closin of the electric light circuit with which beheadlights or lamps of an automobile are connected, the arrangementbeing such that as the chauffeur takes his seat inthe machine, thepressure upon the seat or cushion will act upon the make and breakdevice to close the light circuit and, consequently, light the lamps infront, while, as the chauffeur stops the machine and leaves the seat,this circuit will be automatically broken, as it should be, since thereis no occasion that the lamps in front should be lighted when themachine is standing still and not occupied. Provision is also madewhereby a signal of any kind may be operated as the circuit is closed,sopthat in the event that an unauthorized person who wished to tamperwith or steal the machine, should occupy the seat, the signal may beoperated, thus notifying others in the vicinity that the person incharge has no authority. This signal may, of course, be of any desiredcharacter and may be cut out of the circuit by the owner of the machineor the one properly authorized to handle the same, before he takes hisseat upon the cushion. This signal is auxiliary to the automatic controlof the front lamps, and may be employed or not as desired or ascircumstances may seem to dictate or require. y

Having briefiy outlined m improvement, as well as the function which itis intended to subserve, I will proceed to describe the same in detail,reference bein made to the accompanying drawing, in w ich 'is illus-Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1917'.

Application led March 30, 1916. Serial No. 87,708.

trated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing,-

Figure 1 is a section taken through my improved construction shown inconnection with a cushioned seat, a signal being also indicated andadapted to be arranged in the circuit. This view may be consideredasection' taken on the line 1 3, Fig. 2, so far as the operating partsof the make and break device are concerned.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the make and break device with thevertically movable cover for actuating the movable parts of the device,removed.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 1--3, Fig. 2, but showing thecomplete construction, that is to say, with the top cover and thecushioned seat above in place.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate@ suitable stationary support as the part ofan automobile below the4 cushion 6 of the seat. lThis support 5 isrecessed or cut out as shown at 7 to form a depression of suitable depthand area, in which is located a casing 8 which is provided with acentral opening 9 which communicates with an opening 10 through the part5. Supported in the opening 9 by means of an insulating bushing 12 and afastening nut 13 of the same material, is a cylindrical member 14 whoseupper extremity is anged as shown at 15 to overlap the bushing 12 andsupport the said member in place, the latter being open at the top toreceive a hollow, inverted, cup-shaped, telescoping member 16 whichcoperates with the member 14 and 'is closed at its upper extremity' asshown at 17 where it is engaged by the upper extremity of a verticallydisposed spiral spring 18 whose lower extremity engages the bottom 19 ofthe member ,14, a binding screw 20 being passed through the bottom ofthe member 14, a nut 21 being applied to its lower protruding extremityfor the purpose of securing a terminal 220i an an oval shaped leafspring27 whose upper' portion passes through slots 28 formed in the adjacentextremities of two twin members 29 which are hinged to the bottom of thecasing at opposite'ends as shownl at 30, the slotted extremities ofthese two hinged members being normally supported above the telesco ingmember 17 except ywhen there is su cient pressure on the cushion 6 tobring the hinged members into engagement with the teles'copingpart 17,and the' latter result is accomplished `through the medium of avertically'movable cover 31 which is provided with a 'depending' flange32 which overlaps the upwardly extending flange or rim 33 of the'casing8 and is ar ranged in telescoping relation therewith.

This cover is provlded with two dependin parts or lugs 34 which aresuitably space 4 whereby they are arranged on opposite sides of theopening 9 in the ottom of the casing,

being normally respectively in contact with the two members 2 9 of themake and break device. When these members 29 are in their normalposition or' when the circuit is open, the cover 31, while,` resting onthe device 2 9,

does not exert any downward pressure, or at least enough pressure toovercome 'the tension of the oval 4or bow-shaped spring 27.; However, assoon asthere is vconsiderable pressure on the cushion 46 as is the casewhen a person is sitting thereon, the telescoping cover 31 will beforced downwardly upon the two members 29 with the result that theslotted extremities of the members 29, will be brought into engagementwith the top -of the telescoping member 17 ,which will -V yieldsufficiently to maintain the contact within a considerable verticalrange, thus providing for the vibration of the machine and the up anddown movement of the person occupying the seat or cushion 6. As soon-`as the parts 29 are brought into engagement with the parts 17, thecircuit will be closed as the two terminals 22 and 24 will 'thus bebridged since the members 29 are in engagement with 'the metallic casing8, and the parts 14 and 17 together vwith the spring 19 are also ofmetal'.

The two conductors 23 and 25 lead to the opposite poles of a suitableelectrical source (not shown). If it is desired for any' reason that thedevice should be ino erative the two conductors 23 and 25 may e shortcircuited between the make and breakl device and the source of current,by means of a manually operable switch arm 35 which is pivotally mountedas shown at 36 where it is in engagement with a contact 37 with whichare 'connected two parts of the conductor 23. In other Words, thecontact 37 may be arranged in the' conductor '23 by simply separatingthe latter and connect-` ing its parts on opposite sides of the contact37 with the latter. The switch arm 35 is maarrev of suicient length toreach a contact 38 located in or forming a part of the conductor 25.This switch arm is rovided with an insulating hand iece 39 orconvenience of manipulation. ormally, or when the make and break deviceis to be operative for making and breaking the circuit through thelights of the automobileor other translating device or devices, theswitch arm 35 is in the full line position in Fig. 1.

If it is desired to locate a signal as an electric bell -40 inthecircuit, this may be accomplished by opening one branch thereof asthe conductor 23 (see Fig. 1) and connecting a part 41 ofthe conductorl23 with the bell as shown at 42, and employing a' switch arm 43 which ispivotally connected as shown at 44 with a contact with lwhich theconductor 23 is connected on the opposite side of the interruption fromthe part 41 of this conductor. When the signal 40 is cut out of thecircuit, the switch arm 43 is in the full line position in Fig. 11,while, when the signal is in the circuit this switch arm `is inthedotted line position in the same ligure'. It will be understood thattheperson C `in charge of the machine will-not desire to operate thissignal, and, consequently, before occupying the cushion 6, he will movethe switch arm 43 from the dotted to the full line position, it beingassumed that beforer leaving the machine he has shifted ized personshould attempt to move the mavchine, the signal will be operated.

Attention is called to the factthat the slots 28 which are formed in theadjacent extremities of the two members 29, are open for the insertionof the leaf spring 27, the said spring being put in place before theparts are arranged in operative position, as

' will be readily understood.

branch of the circuit and composedl of twok hinged members normallyspring supported intermediate their hinges out of engagement with thevfirst namedv contact but movable downwardly intoA engagement therewithwhen subjected to pressure.

2. A make and break device, comprising a contact composed of springspaced telescoping members mounted on the support and located in onebranch of the electrical cirthe switchu arm 43 to the dotted lineposition so that in the event that an unauthorl centrally mounted in thecasin cuit, a second contact arranged in the other branch of the circuitand composed of two hinged members normally spring supportedintermediate their hinges above and out of engagement with the firstnamed contact but vertically movable to engage the latter, substantiallyas described.

3. A make and break device composed of a casing having a centralopening, a contact suspended in said opening, and located in one branchof the electrical circuit, a second contact in the other branch of thecircuit composed of two hinged members which extend from their hingestoward each other, a spring connecting the contact portions of saidmembers and normally supporting the same above the first named contactbut movable downwardly under suitable pressure into engagementtherewith, and means for normally7 insulating the two contacts from eachother.

4. A make and break device, comprising a metallic casing having acentral opening formed in its lower surface, a contact slidably mountedtherein and insulated therefrom, the said contact and casingV beingrespectively located in the two branches of an electrical circuit, asecond contact composed of two members hingedly connected with thecasing and extending toward each other, their adjacent extremities beingnormally spring supported above the first named contact but movable intoengagement therewith under the iniuence of pressure in a downs warddirection.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a metalliccasing, a contact and insulated therefrom, said contact an casing beingrespectively located in the two branches of an electrical circuit, asecond contact composed of two members hingedly connected with the saidcasing and extending from their hinges toward each other, their adjacentextremities being normally spring supported above the first namedcontact, and a top casing member having depending parts engaging thesaid hinged members of the 'second contact and movable vertically forcircuit closing purposes.

6. The combination of a metallic casing member having a central opening,a contact suspgided in said opening but insulated from the casing, asecond contact composed of two members hinged to the casing at itsopposite extremities and extending normally above the first namedcontact, and a leaf spring whose extremities are secured to the saidcasing on opposite sides of the opening therein and extending upwardlyabove said opening and forming a connection with and a support for theadjacent extremities of the hinged members of the second contact,whereby the said members are normally supported out of engagement withthe first named contact.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a metallic casing memberhaving a central opening, a contact suspended in said opening butinsulated from the casing, a second Contact composed of two membershinged to the casing at the opposite extremities of the latter andextending from their hinges toward each other and terminating above thefirst named contact, and a leaf spring whose extremities are secured tothe said casing on opposite sides of the opening therein and extendingupwardly above said opening, the adjacent extremities of the hingedcontact members being slotted to receive the opposite edges of saidspring, whereby the said contact members are normally supported aboveland out of engagement with the first named contact.

8. A make and break device, comprising a bottom metallic casing memberhaving a central opening, a contact supported in said opening butinsulated from the casing, a second contact composed of two membershinged 'to the casing at its opposite extremities and extending-inwardly toward each other and terminating above the first namedcontact, a leaf spring whose extremities are secured to the said casingon opposite sides of the opening' therein, and extending upwardly abovesaid opening and forming a connection and support for the adjacentextremities of the hinged members of the second contact, and a topcasing member ar-

